Waywalker

Chapter 1

Will had memories of a burning world. The air was thick. Stars were barely visible in the night sky. A searing pain jolted him awake. He stood up, struggling to get his bearings straight due to the dull throb across his head. He felt light-headed and for a fleeting moment, white spots clouded his vision. He staggered, catching himself against a drainage pipe with both hands next to him. The feeling surpassed just as quickly and his vision cleared.

He stood in an alleyway, cornered by a high stone wall on his right and an old building on his left. He recalled his steps. If he could trace his path, he could figure out how he had ended up in this deserted alleyway. With a foggy memory, the last thing that he could remember was that he had been on a search for his brother.

In a darker world, much different from this one, he had run away from home. As a Physicist, Victor Dark specialised in Dark Matter and Quantum Physics. His research led him to believe in the existence of parallel universes. Everyone thought he was crazy. That he had gone off the rails. Until one day, he was declared missing.

Victor's case was abandoned when no further evidence was discovered. His workshop, once a crime scene, now unsalvageable. Will took it upon himself to investigate it. That was the night he had run away.

Reaching his brother's workshop, Will pushed the grated-steel barn door open to his left, its top rail barely hanging from its wheel, the hinge loose. Even without the lights, it was a mess inside. The workshop ran on steam-powered technology. Various tools, gadgets and drawings sat in disarray among the workbenches on either side, collecting dust and residue over the weeks Victor had been missing.

Will remembered picking up a device from one of the workbenches that he considered of importance to Victor's project and continued straight to the clock-shaped door embellished with cogs, gears and bronze beveled edges at the other end of the workshop. Its most striking feature was the brass figure-of-eight symbol that covered its surface area, touching each end of its circumference.

Accumulated granules floated down from the rafters. Will stepped up onto the steel platform where a creak resonated from the pressure of his boot. That's when he noticed a faint glow emitted from the narrow gap between the door and its round frame.

He placed the device into his trouser pocket. With amble fingers, he opened it. There was a flash of light. And then he was here.

Rain fell lightly, matting his black hair. He became aware of the jacket he wore and pulled up the hood over his head. Floodlights lit up the scene, startling Will. While it wasn't certain who they were searching for, he didn't want to know what would happen if he were to be found. Especially in unfamiliar territory.

He backed up against the wall on his right, hugging it tight until the floodlights passed him. Having been missed by a hair's breadth, a sigh of relief escaped him. It was a moment short-lived when sudden movement caught his attention up above high on the rooftops. He looked up just in time to see a dark blur dash past. It was quick. Will made to follow it.

He took off down the narrow alley, keeping an eye out for any stairs, chutes or scaffolding he could use to climb his way up.

The fourth corner on his left proved to be useful when he spotted a connecting stairwell interceding all floors of the building. The sound of hurried boots on steel rang throughout the sleeping city. Will reached the last floor and had to improvise his next steps when he saw that he had come to the end of the stairwell.

Before he could lose sight of the dark blur, Will found a chute reaching to the rooftop and climbed its exterior before any cowardly thoughts could steal what courage he had left to get him through this nightmare.

A gust of wind tackled him at the top, nearly knocking him off his feet. Will was quick to find his footing and resumed his chase after the dark blur. The closely stacked buildings allowed for an easy pursuit. Three rooftops ahead, Will was able to keep sight of the unknown figure dashing nimbly across buildings. It was to his own surprise that he managed to keep up with them.

They had traversed a lot of ground in such a short amount of time when Will caught up with the unknown figure. Still on the run, they made a last attempt in seeking sanctuary over the large, stone compartment block that stopped their path. With strong hands, they pulled themselves up. Will followed in blind pursuit. He mirrored their actions, pulling himself up over the stone compartment block and landing on the other side. Such haste left him breathless.

As for the unknown figure, they had found themselves at a dead end with no more rooftops to jump onto. Will watched them skid to a halt and change directions but to no avail. Churning river water gushed out beneath them running from left to right. Their path of escapism had changed to open ground. The unknown figure came to an abrupt stop.

"Who are you?" Will shouted.

The figure just stood there, appearing uncertain of what to do now that their route had been cut off. Will put out his hand in reassurance that he meant no harm. He just wanted to know what was going on. They looked at Will as if noticing him for the first time. Their hood and mask deceiving Will of their identity. Very slowly, they pulled down their hood and took off their mask. Will lost all words.

That black hair, stark blue eyes, and oval-shaped jawline. His features were horrifyingly recognizable. His hood was attached to a black long ruffled, lightweight overcoat that he wore over an olive-green, laced-up, long-sleeved sweatshirt complete with baggy trousers and black combat boots. The complete opposite to what Will was wearing. And yet it was as if he was looking at a mirror. While impossible, reality proved undeniable. Will was looking at himself.

Other Will said nothing. Their short peruse ended by the deep rumbling of a transport ship's engine, its floodlights sweeping the area. Blinded by the floodlights, Will was able to refocus his vision just in time to see Other Will curl his lips up into a crude smile, as if conveying a message only he would understand. Will could never have foreseen the events that unfolded next even if he tried.

Above, Imperial Forces prepared to intercede. Down on the rooftop, Will kept his eyes engaged on Other Will's every move which only resulted in more confusion.

In one instantaneous action, Other Will's right hand swooped into the depth of his overcoat and brought out a device which appeared oddly identical to the one Will had picked up back in Victor's workshop. Fingers lightly pressed down on the ignition and a whirring of electricity surged from the device in Other Will's hand, forming into a swirling vortex of blue energy before Will's very eyes. All other senses dulled.

He blinked.

The boy vanished, along with the vortex.

"FREEZE!" An Imperial Officer shouted.

A force of power seized Will. Defeated, he put his hands up in surrender, shuffling around to face the authorities of this strange world. Five armed Imperial Officers met him on the rooftop a couple steps away, pointing blasters down at Will. The middle officer stepped forward. Nearing Will, he brought out a small Hologram Projector and activated it. A Holomap lit up, revealing a face Will wished identified as someone else.

"Is that him?" One of the Imperial Officers asked.

In answer, the Hologram Projector began to beep and a name appeared on the Holomap, confirming the identity of the face in the projection.

"William Dark," the Imperial Commander announced. "I should have known."

Will asked the only question on his mind. "Where is he? Where is my brother?"

He assumed from the Imperial Commander's choice of his words that he knew who he was which also meant a high chance of knowing Victor. How he knew him, Will couldn't say. For he had never met this man before in his life.

"We were hoping you could tell us that," he answered.

Will struggled to find the right words. "What do you mean?" he said.

Something was wrong. And it wasn't just about feeling out of place anymore.

"You never did do as you were told," the Imperial Commander stated.

Will took a cautious step back. "I don't know you," Will said.

"Not according to my sources," he remarked. He snapped the Hologram Projector off, his frustration evident.

"Then your sources are wrong-"

"Stop playing games with me, Will! You know what you've done-"

"No! I don't. What's going on? What's happened? What did I do?"

The Imperial Commander's patience was running low. "Victor Dark is dead," he announced. "And you killed him."